Eve mattress-in-a-box review: ordering a mattress online has never been easier, or comfier

Should you buy a mattress in a box? We find out with Eve

As I type this I’m laying in bed. Not because it’s late at night. I haven’t been bedridden from a bad case of man flu. It’s because I have the comfiest mattress in the world. This review has been excellent for my back, terrible for productivity.

If you’ve travelled on the tube, watched television, or browsed the internet recently, chances are you’ve seen an advert for a mattress-in-a-box company (Eve, Caspar, Simba, etc).

These companies sell just one type of mattress and don’t own any physical stores, helping to keep costs down. They also have developed some impressive new sleeping technology, which has the comfort of memory foam, without the expense and drawbacks.

Keen to discover what all of the fuss is about, I’ve been sleeping on a double mattress from Eve for over a month now. How did I get on? Read on to find out...

What is it?

The term mattress-in-a-box really says it all. Eve is an online company, you order a mattress in the size you want, they’ll send it to you. Vacuum packed in a box.

This isn’t a box-spring, though, it’s packed with the latest mattress technology.

Eve is composed of three layers. The top layer is 3cm of memory foam, then there’s a 3cm cooling layer, which is 30 times more breathable than memory foam, and finally, there’s a sturdy, solid base foam. It’s all wrapped in an elastic polyester and dorlastan material.

How does it work?

Other mattress-in-a-box companies use different recipes, but all have a similar design philosophy. They create what they believe is the perfect mattress, manufacture it using high-quality materials, then sell it online directly to customers, cutting out the middleman. This allows them to offer a quality mattress at an affordable price.

Is it any good?

It’s very good. Three centimetres of memory foam may not seem like much, but it’s the perfect amount to keep you comfortable. The high density base layer actually means the mattress is firm, but the top two layers reduce pressure points, so your supported but not uncomfortable. I used to always wake up with back pain on my old IKEA mattress, but that’s stopped now I’ve switched to Eve.

The top layer is also very good at isolating motion, so you can sleep soundly while your partner tosses and turns all night, and the cooling layer wicks away moisture and heat, helping to keep you at a stable temperature.

It’s not perfect, however. Some may find it too firm, it’s very heavy, making it difficult to rotate, and while it's better at cooling then its memory foam counter part, it can still get quite hot.

Oh, and it absolutely stinks for a couple of weeks when you first open it (of M&Ms, strangely).

Pros

Incredibly comfortable

Affordable

Isolates movement

Cooler than traditional memory foam

Yellow

Cons

Smells when first opened

Very heavy

Maybe too firm for some

Where can I get it?

Eve mattresses cost from £349 for a single. You can buy directly from Eve, or from Amazon.